[89] 



FLOUNDERS AND SOLES. 



313 



tiou of Sloaue in their works on Jamaica. It is very evident from 

 Sloane's figure that the species he had in view was the Achirus maculipin- 

 nis. So far as we know, but two species of Achirus (inscriptus and ma- 

 culipinnis) are found in the waters of the Antilles. There seems to be, 

 then, no doubt that the maculipinnis of Agassiz is the original Pleuro- 

 nectes Uneatus of Linnaeus. If it be so, it must stand as Achirus Une- 

 atus. 



The Pleuronectes Uneatus of the twelfth edition of the Systenia Naturae 

 is described from a fish sent from Charleston by Dr. Garden. This is 

 Achirus fasciatus. 



We have placed the Florida s.pecies, comifer and brachialis, in the sy- 

 nonymy of Uneatus. They differ from the latter only in the slightly 

 smaller numbers of the scales and fin-rays. 



The following table shows our count of a number of specimens from 

 different localities : 



Locality. 



Scales. 



Key West (comifer) . . 



Pensacola (brachialis) . . 



Cienf uegos (Uneatus) . - 



Rio Janeiro (maculipinnis) . . 



Do (maculipinnis) . . 



Rio Grande do Snl (maculipinnis) . . 



Coary (maculipinnis) . . 



Manacapuru (maculipinnis) . 



55 to 67 



75 to 77 

 85 

 85 

 72 

 70 

 68 

 TO 



It is evident from this table that neither the fin-rays nor the scales 

 forin characters by which the subspecies can be absolutely distinguished. 

 It is evident also, from the examination of large series of specimens, 

 that the coloration is subject to very great variations — as great as in 

 Achirus fasciatus. In some of these the caudal is dark and immaculate, 

 in others pale and usually prof usely spotted. In some the ground color 

 is nearly plain blackish, in others it is pale, usually with narrow dark 

 cross-bands, but sometimes closely spotted everywhere. 



The specimens examined by us are from Pensacola and Egmont Ke} r 

 (brachialis), Key West (comifer), Oienfuegos (Cuba, Poey), Coary, Teffy, 

 Tapajos, Porto Alegre, Pernambuco, Cannarivieras, Manaeapuru, Porto 

 do Moz, Bio Grande do Sul, Bio Janeiro, San Matheo, Bosario, Itaba- 

 puana, Obidos, Xingu, Gurupa, Jutaby, Curuca, Para, Bahia, Santa- 

 rem, 19a, Fonteboa, San Paolo, Bio Trompetas, Sambaia, Manes, Javary, 

 and Tabatiuga. 



The species would appear to be one of the commonest in Brazil. 



110. ACHIRUS MAZATLANUS. 



(Mexican Sole; Teipalcate.) 



Solea mazatlana Steiudachner, Ichth. Notizen, ix, 23, 1869 (Mazatlan). Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, Bull. U. S.Fish. Comm., 1882, 108 (Mazatlan). 

 Achirus mazatlanus Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1885, 391 (Mazatlan). 

 Solea pilosa Peters, Berliner Monatsber., 1809,709 (Mazatlan). 



Habitat. — Pacific coast of tropical America, 



